Monta Ellis ran from baseline to baseline, moving at about three-quarter speed and slapping hands with Mark Grabow, the Warriors' director of athletic development, every time he ran by.

When the running was over, the shooting began. First from the free-throw line, then from the left elbow. Each action was smooth and controlled, and deliberately so, as Ellis continued his recovery from a sprained neck Wednesday.

"It's just a process," Ellis said. "Whenever you go down like that, it takes time, and you don't want to rush back too early and then go back to the same thing again."

Training camp was only four days old when Ellis collided with Brandan Wright during a scrimmage in Hawaii and was wheeled off the court on a stretcher. Ellis has not practiced since, and though he traveled to San Antonio for tonight's exhibition game, he isn't expected to play until next week at the earliest.

The rough start matches the finish to Ellis' sophomore campaign. The Warriors guard, who turns 22 next week, has had a tough time since being named the league's Most Improved Player.

Ellis was a nonfactor in the playoffs after breaking through with averages of 16.5 points, 4.1 assists and 3.2 rebounds in his first year under coach Don Nelson. This summer, he was named to the USA Basketball select team but had to withdraw due to back problems.

Then came his training camp scare two weeks ago - a seemingly harmless bump with Wright that left Ellis face-down on the floor at the start of a contract year.

Ellis prefers not to talk about the incident, saying only that "it's done and over with." Yet his absence has muddled the Warriors backcourt rotation.

Though Nelson had wanted Ellis to focus on his point guard duties, the coach has cooled on the idea with Ellis missing much of the preseason and veteran Troy Hudson playing solidly at the point.

The new plan is the old plan - using Ellis as a combo guard and pairing him with the bigger, taller Baron Davis to avoid having Ellis posted up by opposing guards. But that could squeeze out Kelenna Azubuike, whom Nelson declared as his top shooting guard in training camp.

"Without (Ellis) playing, all I can do is remember what happened last year, and I like him on the floor," Nelson said. "We have to find a way to work him in. He's a good young player and has made the step from his rookie year. ... I think to get the best performance out of Monta, I'm going to play him with Baron as much as I can."

Injuries to both Davis and Jason Richardson a year ago led to Ellis averaging 34.3 minutes per game, second most on the team behind Davis (35.3). Though Ellis has started at both guard spots, his grooming at the point has tended to be a touchy subject.

"Going out and doing what I do - that's what I do," Ellis said. "It wasn't an issue for me to try to transition to a point guard and do this or do that. It's just what I do when I'm on the court. I play basketball, that's all ... Whatever it takes to help this team win, that's it. If that means backing up Baron, it's OK."

Ellis added that his fearless style of play would not change despite his third significant injury scare in the past year and a half. Nor was he concerned about his missed time or heightened expectations following his dramatic improvement last season.

"The biggest thing for him is to come back when he's ready," Stephen Jackson added. "Monta's been here a couple of years and he knows the system. He knows we're behind him a 100 percent. He knows we need him.

"If anything, that's what we tell him. We can't wait for him to come back because we know that our game is going to be a lot quicker."

Briefly: With the Warriors either practicing or playing every day since returning from Hawaii, Jackson took up Nelson's offer to sit out practice Wednesday. "Any day I can get some rest, I'm cool with it. I'm not 25 anymore," said Jackson, 29. ... Center Andris Biedrins (sprained toe), Hudson (sore groin), and forwards Mickael Pietrus (strained back) and Stephane Lasme (sprained ankle) are all game-time decisions.

Iverson and Arenas are exactly what I don't want Monta Ellis to turn into... and its scary, because I know thats the type of player he wants to gravitate towards being. The last thing a run and gun, free-flowing offense needs is a shoot-first point that stuffs up the offense by being selfish.

32 wrote:Iverson and Arenas are exactly what I don't want Monta Ellis to turn into... and its scary, because I know thats the type of player he wants to gravitate towards being. The last thing a run and gun, free-flowing offense needs is a shoot-first point that stuffs up the offense by being selfish.

He's more of a SG next to Baron than anything else and becoming a great scorer that likes to kill the opposition is exactly what the team needs

yeah, I have never been as down on AI as 32 has, but I really disliked the way he played against the Spurs. It made sense for him to monopolize the ball when he had more talent than all of the other players on his team combined, but that is not remotely the case in Denver. To me, if he can't modify his style to get people more involved when someone like Melo is on his team, he will have earned all the ballhog scorn his critics have heaped on him. This year will tell definitively. I would much prefer that Monta model himself on DWADE....

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coltraning wrote:yeah, I have never been as down on AI as 32 has, but I really disliked the way he played against the Spurs. It made sense for him to monopolize the ball when he had more talent than all of the other players on his team combined, but that is not remotely the case in Denver. To me, if he can't modify his style to get people more involved when someone like Melo is on his team, he will have earned all the ballhog scorn his critics have heaped on him. This year will tell definitively. I would much prefer that Monta model himself on DWADE....

I agree with you on both counts. Iverson has to give up the ball more in Denver than in Philadelphia because he has more talent around him now. Monta becoming more like DWade would be nice but with Baron the major playmaker on the team, Monta has to be more of a scorer than distributor. I see SJackson as slightly more if a playmaking option than Monta as he has shown he is pretty good at it and opposition SFs aren't as used to guarding playmaking SFs. Monta is a great scorer and he really should be allowed to do that more than anything else, with in the team system ofcourse

coltraning wrote:yeah, I have never been as down on AI as 32 has, but I really disliked the way he played against the Spurs. It made sense for him to monopolize the ball when he had more talent than all of the other players on his team combined, but that is not remotely the case in Denver. To me, if he can't modify his style to get people more involved when someone like Melo is on his team, he will have earned all the ballhog scorn his critics have heaped on him. This year will tell definitively. I would much prefer that Monta model himself on DWADE....

It's easier said that done. He's played in Philly for so long with awful rosters that he ain't gonna change the way he plays just by having better teammates.

It's George Karl's job to change AI's game, not just AI.

btw, I like that Wade model for Monta. Much more accurate for the kind of player Monta is right now.

coltraning wrote:yeah, I have never been as down on AI as 32 has, but I really disliked the way he played against the Spurs. It made sense for him to monopolize the ball when he had more talent than all of the other players on his team combined, but that is not remotely the case in Denver. To me, if he can't modify his style to get people more involved when someone like Melo is on his team, he will have earned all the ballhog scorn his critics have heaped on him. This year will tell definitively. I would much prefer that Monta model himself on DWADE....

It's easier said that done. He's played in Philly for so long with awful rosters that he ain't gonna change the way he plays just by having better teammates.

It's George Karl's job to change AI's game, not just AI.

btw, I like that Wade model for Monta. Much more accurate for the kind of player Monta is right now.

He also has 2 inches on AI. Wade has one on Monta. If Monta could bulk up a little and add the game's best wing bank shot only...